Construction & Civil Engineering
Site inspections, snagging, and as-built documentation done right
The European construction market exceeds €2.1 trillion annually, yet paper-based site documentation remains surprisingly common. The irony is striking: an industry that builds complex structures still relies on clipboards, disposable cameras, and Excel spreadsheets to document its work. Enterprise solutions like Procore promise digital transformation but cost €130,000+ per year—far beyond what most projects can justify. Geocadra brings professional-grade site documentation to construction projects of every size, replacing paper chaos with organised digital records that protect you when disputes arise and accelerate project handover.
Why Construction Documentation Fails
Poor site documentation isn't just inconvenient—it's expensive. Disputes, rework, and delayed handovers all trace back to inadequate records.
Paper Checklists Create More Problems Than They Solve
Paper inspection forms get wet, lost, or illegible. Version control is impossible when multiple copies circulate. Photos taken on personal phones never get properly filed. By the time disputes arise—and they always do—the evidence you need is scattered across filing cabinets, email inboxes, and departed employees' devices. Reconstruction from memory is unreliable and legally weak.
Enterprise Tools Price Out Most Projects
Procore, PlanGrid, and similar platforms are powerful but expensive—€130,000+ annually plus implementation costs and ongoing training. For a €5M residential development or a municipal infrastructure project, these costs are prohibitive. Yet the alternative—spreadsheets and paper—creates its own costly inefficiencies. Construction needs professional tools at accessible prices.
Multiple Trades Create Documentation Chaos
A typical construction site involves dozens of subcontractors working simultaneously. Each brings their own documentation methods—or none at all. When defects appear, determining responsibility becomes a finger-pointing exercise. Without standardised, timestamped records showing who worked where and when, resolving disputes fairly is nearly impossible.
Compliance Requires Evidence You Don't Have
CDM regulations, building control sign-offs, and warranty requirements all demand documented evidence of inspections and compliance. Health and safety incidents require contemporaneous records. Yet when regulators or lawyers come asking, most sites can't produce the evidence they need. Paper records get lost; digital photos lack metadata; inspection reports are incomplete.
Incomplete Records Delay Project Handover
Practical completion gets delayed while teams scramble to compile as-built documentation, gather warranty certificates, and close out snagging items. Clients withhold retention payments citing incomplete records. What should be a straightforward administrative task becomes a weeks-long archaeology exercise, damaging relationships and cash flow.
How Geocadra Transforms Site Documentation
Digital documentation that works the way construction projects actually operate—multiple trades, changing conditions, tight budgets.
Digital Checklists With Built-In Quality Control
Replace paper forms with mobile checklists that ensure nothing gets missed. Mandatory fields prevent incomplete submissions. Photo requirements ensure visual evidence accompanies every inspection. Dropdown menus standardise terminology across your entire team. The result is consistent, complete documentation from every site visit.
Professional Tools at Accessible Prices
One price for your entire organisation—not per-user fees that punish you for involving subcontractors. Whether you're running a single development site or managing multiple projects simultaneously, costs remain predictable. Professional-grade documentation becomes accessible to projects of every size.
Track Work by Trade and Location
Assign specific areas to individual trades with clear responsibility boundaries. See real-time progress across the site. When defects appear, timestamped records show exactly who worked in that area and when. This isn't about blame—it's about fair accountability and efficient resolution.
Complete Audit Trail for Every Inspection
Every record includes automatic timestamp, GPS location, user identification, and device information. Photos embed metadata that can't be edited after capture. When regulators, lawyers, or clients need evidence, you have contemporaneous documentation that demonstrates exactly what was done and when.
Common Workflows
See how construction teams use Geocadra across the project lifecycle.
Snagging and Defect Tracking
Document defects with photos, precise locations, and severity ratings. Assign to responsible parties with deadline tracking. Monitor resolution progress across the entire site. Export professional snag lists for contractor coordination.
Construction Progress Documentation
Capture dated, geotagged photos showing construction stages. Record milestone completions with supporting evidence. Build a visual timeline that demonstrates project progression and supports payment applications.
CDM Safety Inspections
Work through standardised safety checklists covering CDM requirements. Document hazards with photos and corrective actions. Track inspection completion across all site areas. Generate compliance reports for health and safety files.
As-Built Survey and Verification
Capture actual installation locations with GPS coordinates and photos. Document deviations from design with supporting measurements. Create as-built records that support future maintenance and modifications.
Quality Assurance Inspections
Systematic quality checks against specifications and standards. Photo evidence of workmanship at critical hold points. Acceptance sign-offs with digital signatures and timestamps.
Project Handover Documentation
Compile all inspection records, photos, and completion certificates in one place. Generate handover packs organised by building element or system. Demonstrate completion status to clients and building control.
Measurable Results
Construction teams using Geocadra report measurable improvements in documentation quality and project efficiency.
Digital documentation costs 25% less than paper-based methods when you account for printing, filing, retrieval time, and lost records. More importantly, teams with complete digital records report 65% fewer disputes reaching formal proceedings—because contemporaneous evidence makes responsibility clear. Inspection time per item drops from 30 minutes to 15 minutes when field workers aren't wrestling with paper forms and disconnected cameras. The combined effect is a 33% productivity improvement over teams using ad-hoc digital solutions or paper systems.
Compliance & Standards
Geocadra helps construction teams meet the documentation requirements of UK and European regulations.
CDM Regulations
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations require documented evidence of safety inspections throughout construction. Geocadra's CDM inspection templates ensure systematic coverage of all requirements, while timestamped records with photos create the health and safety file evidence that regulations demand.
Eurocodes
European structural design standards require verification that construction matches approved designs. As-built documentation with GPS coordinates and photos provides the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance with structural specifications and obtain building control sign-offs.
BREEAM
BREEAM certification requires documented evidence across multiple sustainability categories. Geocadra organises site evidence by BREEAM credit, making assessment submissions straightforward and reducing the administrative burden of certification.
LEED
LEED certification similarly requires extensive documentation of construction practices, materials, and commissioning. Digital records with timestamps and locations streamline the evidence compilation that LEED submissions require.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can subcontractors use Geocadra without their own subscription?
Yes. Your subscription covers everyone working on your projects. Grant temporary access to subcontractors for specific sites or time periods. They use the same forms and contribute to the same documentation system, ensuring consistency across all trades.
Can we import existing site plans and drawings?
Yes. Import PDF drawings, CAD exports, or georeferenced images as background layers. Field teams can then capture inspection points and defects positioned accurately against your actual site plans.
What kind of reports can we generate?
Generate snag lists, inspection reports, progress summaries, and compliance documentation. Reports include all captured photos organised by location or date. Export as PDF for clients or as structured data for further analysis.
How do we manage multiple projects simultaneously?
Each project gets its own workspace with separate forms, user assignments, and data. Switch between projects instantly on mobile devices. Dashboard provides overview across all active projects for portfolio management.
How long is project data retained?
Project data is retained indefinitely on your subscription. For completed projects, you can export complete archives including all records and photos for long-term storage in your own systems. This is essential for construction where warranty periods extend for years.
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